Middlings-purifier



(No Model.) 'l 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

A. HUNTER.

MIDDLINGS PURIPIBR.

No'. 296,752.. Patented Apr. 15, 1884.

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(No Model.) n 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. HUNTER.

MIDDLINGS PURIPIBR.

No. 296.752. Patented Apr. 15, 1884.

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liNrrnn Sterns Partnr @erica ADREV HUNTER, `OF CHICAGO, ILLIOIS.

NllDDLINGS-PURIFIER.

SPECIFICATION forming pari; of Letters Patent No. 296,752, dated April 15, 1884.

Application filed September 19, 1883. (No model.)

To al whom, t may concern:

Be it known that l, ANDREW HUNTER, a citizen ot' the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvenient in llIiddlings-Puriiiers, of which the following, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

In the drawings, Figure l, Sheet l, is a longitudinal vertical. section of a middlingspuriiyinginachine embodying my invention. Fig. 2, Sheet l, is a top View with the Casin g broken away, showing the arrangement of the sectional brushes and their line of travel. Fi g. 3, Sheet 2, is a vertical cross-section in the plane of the line ff otFig. l. Fig. 4:, Sheet 2, is a side elevation of the screen-frame. Fig. 5, Sheet 2, is a cross-section ofthe screen-frame, showing the device for tightening the cloth sidewise. Fig. G, Sheet 2, is an enlarged View of the clamps for tightening the cloth endwise, showing one clamp closed and the other in position before closing or bolting to the trarne. Fig. 7, Sheet- 2, shows the arrangements of adjustable box G, and Fig. 8, Sheet 2, shows a top View of the windsprcader a and mouth of fan lll.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

A represents the frame of th e machine, adapted to receive the Working parts.

B is a receiving-hopper, into which the iniddlings are fed.

c is the bottoni, madeof zinc, containing a line of pertorations for the middlings to pass through.

c is a slide or valve which rests on the zinc bottoni, and is operated from the outside of the feed-hopper by screws c, which, when screwed in, draws the slide baci; and opens the perforations. When unscrewed it closes them, therebT securing a perfect distribution of the iniddlings across the entire Width of the shaker, not accomplished by the ordinary feed devices.

C is a screeni`rame, which performs the function of a sitter. This frame has clamps attached for tightening the sill; D to the crosspieces ofthe frame.

Z) b are clamps made with a groove for receiving a Wire rod, 21. The edge of the silk is laid on the clamp over the groove Z2. Then the rod is inserted, which holds the silk perfectly tight. The clamps are then fastened to thescreenirame by bolts t. rEhe clamps b b `are fastened to the cross-pieces of the shaker by bolts b. The bolts pass through the clamps and the cross-pieceslVhen the nuts are turned up it brings the two pieces together, making it impossible for the ilour or iniddlings to escape between thein. The sides of the silk are constructed With longitudinal loops c for receiving rods c. They are fastened to the sides of the screcirfraine by bolts c, which pass through the rods c and through studs c into nuts 0".

d are hollow tubes inserted in the crosspieces at the tail end of the screeniranie, for supplying air for fan O.

d' are hangers or supports for the screenframe to rest on. The upper ends are fastened to the screeniraine C and the lower ends to frame A. The hangers are placed inclining, which causes the iniddlings to travel over a horizontal screen.

E E E are sections of a brush constructed so that the bristles of one do not follow in the saine line with either of the others, thereby requiring the action of the three sections to sweep the entire surface of the cloth.

e @are shafts having sprocket-Wheels c e secured to them, for carrying linlnbelts f, to which the brushes E E E are fastened.

F is a side bar for supporting and carrying the ends of the brushes. t

H are bolts'which pass through the upper side rails of framesL and through bar F, and arranged with double nuts for regulating the height of the bar.

D is graded cloth,with line at the head and increasing coarseness toward the tail.

I is a hoppershaped chamber underneath the screen,with discharge-openings J J J, for the different grades of iniddlings to escape out ot the machine.

K K are the sides of the hopper I, providedV `with alternate openings h h h on one side, and h h h on the opposite. The Wind from fan M enters chamber I transversely. Each transverse current assists in compressing the air under the screen.

L L are Windtrunlis lying parallel with the screen-traine. rihe sides of the hopper K K form a part of the Wind-trunks.

M is a blastfan,which discharges into windtrunks. L L.

a is a V-shaped spreader for dividing the Wind that enters Wind-trunks L L.

N is a chute, formed by constructing the ICO hopper with a double end, leaving a space for the germ middlings to escape.

n is a valve for regulating the tail end.

w is a rod for moving valve u.

O is a suction-fan placed on top of the ma- Vchine* at the tail end.

R is the main driving-shaft.

I? is the cam that imparts motion lo the screen-frame.

S is the tailings-discharge spout.

c are adjustable boxes at the head of the niachine, for carrying shaft e.

G are adjustable boxes at the tail end, forV carrying driving-brush shaft c.

g g are bolts for fastening box G to frame A.

g is a b'oltfor raising or lowering box G.

T is a spring for holding the screen-frame against the cam.

X is an iron support for the foot of hangers d to rest on.

r is an opening at the tail of the screenframe, for the tailings to escape that are separated from the middlings.

The operation of the parts now described is as follows: The middlings are fed into the hopper B and fall evenly on the projecting end c of screen-frame C. The percussive movement precipitates the heavy middlings to the bottom, leaving the light ontop. By the time the middlings reach the silk, the light V'fluffy m ateri al is on top, and held there by the p ressure from fan M, which operates on the under side of the silk. rlhe fluffy matter as it approaches thetail end islifted up and carried off by suctionfan O. The cross-currents produced by fan M, entering transversely through the openings h h h on one side of the cant-boards, and 71. h h on the opposite side,prevent the air from rushing to the tail end,wl1ere it could escape readily. rIhe pressure under the screen stops the fiber from sifting through cloth D. Therefore it does not depend upon the quantity of air passing through the cloth to make a separation, as is the case with exhaust-machines. rIhe air-pressure under the cloth combined with a suction at the tail end, and a traveling brush on top of the cloth, enables the machine to treat three times the quantity of middlings as a machine that is provided with only a suction or a blast. The middlings as they travel over the screen, on account of their uneven form, stick in the meshes of the cloth, and always from on top 5 consequently the necessity of an automatic traveling brush on top of the screen.

The great objection to a brush traveling on top of the screen has been that it either carried the middlings in front or piled them up behind. In both cases the middlings were, carried over the end of the screen with the tailings and wasted. A brush made with the bristles close together produces the same recut-off at the sults as a scraper, and has a tendency to force the impurities through the silk, and paste it, and. cause the silk to wear rapidly. In order to overcome the above objections, a brush must be made in sections, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The brush must be made with the bunches of bristles in each section set far 7o enough apart so that they will pass over the screen and not disturb the middlings. The' brush must be made in sections, whereby the bristles in one will not travel in the same path traversed by the others, and so'arranged that the three sections perform the same functions as a single brush. The sections are placed equidistant on the chain f, which relieves the cloth of nearly two-thirds of the weight of an ordinary brush. A single section as it travels over the cloth does not disturb the middlings, only on the line of the bristles which are set about one and a half inch apart. If the middlings travel fasterthan the brush-section, they pass through the spaces between the bristles; therefore the traveling of the middlings is not disturbed by the action of the brushes sweeping over the screen. The sections E E E follow in succession, sweeping the entire surface without carrying over the tail any middlings to be wasted with the tailings.

In order to make a sectional brush work effectually, the ends must be supported, as shown in Fig. 3, on bars F, placed over the edge-of the screen-frame. The bars are connected to frame A by bolts H, which are provided with nnts on the top and bottom of bar F, for raising or lowering it. The ends of the sectional brushes rest on the bar. Their pressure on the cloth is regulated by the adjustment of bar F with bolts I-I. By raising the bar F it lifts the brushes from oif the screen, and by lowering they press heavier. 4Graded cloth is used on the screen, commencing with fine at the head, and increasing in coarseness toward the tail. The middlings as they travel over the cloth sift through, and are graded. Those that pass through the first half of the screen are discharged at opening J, in the bottom of the hopper, the coarser middlings at J and the germ middlings at J The quantity of germ middlings is regulated by valve o1. The heavy tailings, with pieces of middlings attached, pass over the tail end of the screen, and are discharged through chute S. As they descend they are met by an upper IIO current of air produced by fan O,which enters at 1^. The current is regulated by valve r.

The usual mode of removing the purified middlings out of the machine is by conveyers, which converts a portion of the fractured middlings into flour. The pulverized portion, when the middlings are repurified, are blown into the dust-room and made into a low-grade flour.

A hoppered bottom adds materially to the Working of a machine in producing a result not heretofore obtained with machines using conveyers.

In order to make a machine work success- -fully, the silk on the screen must be stretched perfectly tight.- If it sags the middlings will not travel, but pile up on the cloth, which causes the fluff and specks to sift through. It

matters not how tight the silk has been stretched when rst put on, in a short time it will become loose. If put on with tacks it requires about half a day to take it off and replace it. When the silk is iirst put on yit has to be stretched every feuT days. Consequently the necessity of a device whereby the cloth can be stretched in a few minutes.` The de; vice for tightening the cloth, as shoxvnin Figs. l and 6, fully meets the desired requirements. The silk is rst fastenedto the clamps by rods if. The clamps b b,\rh en fastened to the crosspieces of the shaker by bolts b b, hold thc cloth endwise together. In 2 the rods e and bolts c, when operated on by the nuts 0 and bolts c, stretches the cloth sidervise perfectly tight and requires only a. few minutes to tighten the cloth at any time.

In order to secure a perfect separation of the impurities from the middlings, a great deal depends on the application of the wind. In a suction-machine the fan is usually placed on top over thescreen, with openings in the sides ofthe machine under the screen for the air to enter. The air that enters at the side openings always travels from that point in a direct line to the opening on top in the fan; consequently the middlings on the center of the screen are not acted upon bythe air. At the tail of the machine it requires a very strong current to carry oft the heavy impurities. In order to obtain satisfactory results the Wind must enter in a sheet at the tail end, under the silk, the entire width ofthe screen. The opening i through which the tailings escape prevents the air from entering at the tail end. In Fig. 3, Sheet 2, the application of tubes el d, inserted in the tail of the screen and passing from the outside to the inside of the machine through the opening i', allows the air to enter without disturbing the descending tailings, thereby securing a result not heretofore obtained.

The removal of theiiber by a suction-1nachine depends on the quantity of air drawn through the cloth. Ii' the screen is heavily loaded, and a sufficient quantityof air is forced through the middlings to remove the fiber, it also carries off the iine middlings, which are Wasted or converted into a low-grade flour. The only satisfactory result yet obtained is the combination of a blast and suction fans. The blast-fan M is placed at the tail. The air from it is divided by a spreader, n, and fills the Windechamber L L, and is forced through into the chamber I, through the side openings it and h', forming transverse currents with the heaviest pressure at the head. The heavier the screen is loaded, the greater the pressure. The pressure must be oi' sufficient force Consequently toward the tail end the escape for the lairincreases, and as it is forced through the thin covering of middlings, it carries off the iiuffy material brought on top by the precipitation of the heavy to the bottom and the light on top, produced by the percussivc movement of the screen-frame. The suctionfan O, being placed over the opening a at the tail of the machine, draws away the dust-laden air raised up by fan M, and receives an additional supply of air through the tubes d d, which operates on the coarse middlings as they approach the tail of the screen. The operation of the suction is such it does not act on the first half of the screen, but principally on the heavy or coarse middlings and tailings.

The action ofthe air on the pieces 'of bran With middlings attached is very effectual. It lifts them up from off the screen sufficiently to carry them over the tail, thereby securing a perfect separation of the worthless material from the good Without any Waste in the offal.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as nen', and desire to secure by Letters Patent; is-

I. The combination, in a middlingspuriier, of the shaker C, the side bars, F, and bolts H, and a series of interrupted or open brushes, E E E, having extension ends adapted to slide on said bars and operate successively upon different parts of the upper surface of said shaker, substantially as described.

2.` The combination, ina middlings-purider, of suction-fan O, the casing and inner Walls forming the space S, the shaker C, graded silk D, feed-trough B, and tubes d, arranged for partially supplying suctiolrfau 0 with air, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a middlingspuriiier, of the shaker C, sectional graded silk D, having looped sides o, clamps I), With the silk fastcned to them, bolts for fastening them to the crosssection of the frame, rods c, and bolts o, for stretching the silk sidewvise, substantially as described.

et. The combination of the shaker-frame C, suction-fan O, blast-fan M, compartment I, and parallel Wind-receptacles L L, and trans verse o eninns hh substantiall f as described. i

5. 'Ihe combination, in a middlings-puriiier, of the shaker C, blast-fan M, suction-fan O, hoppered compartment I, with dischargeopenings J J J, and chute N, substantially as described. L

(i. The combination, in a middlingspurier, of the shaker C, a series of interrupted or open brushes, E E E, tubes d, feed-hopper B, fans M and O, hoppered compartment I, With discharge-openings J J J", chute N, and silk I), substantially as described.

, ANDREW HUNTER.

Witnesses:

E. C. BAXTER, Ennsr Kuunnn.

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